1) Bat Condo Meriden Connecticut 2) Bats at home in approved house (PA Game Commission) 3)Approved Bat House (PA Bat Conservation and Management)

In early springtime, pregnant bats are searching for a safe, warm place to give birth and raise their pups. Many stores and crafts people offer bat houses for sale. However, many are not suitable for bats to inhabit. Some are too small, some are built from the wrong materials, and some have interiors that are dangerous to bat pups (baby bats). It's important that you do research before purchasing or building a bat house. See a list of approved bat houses from Bat Conservation and Management
or Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation.

When you have chosen an approved design, it's equally important to install it properly:
1) Choose an open area where the bat house will be exposed to at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. The surrounding area should be free of branches, wires, or other potential perches for aerial predators.
2) All bat houses should be mounted at least 12' above ground, and 15 to 20 is better.
3) Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights.
4) Bat houses should be mounted on buildings or poles. If mounted on wooden poles, a metal sleeve should be placed at the bottom to prevent climbing predators from gaining access to the house.
5) Bat houses mounted on trees are seldom occupied. Tree- mounted houses make access too easy for climbing predators .
6) Mounting two bat houses back-to-back (one facing north and the other south) is ideal. If the south -facing house gets too hot, the bats have the option to move north, and vice-versa.
7) In climate zones like Connecticut's, the house should be stained with a dark color, but not black. Use non-toxic stain.
8) Internal bat house temperatures should stay between 80 and 100 degrees F.
9 Do not attach screen inside the house because pups might get caught behind it.
10) Consider installing a pup catcher to prevent pups from falling to the ground: Go to batworld.org for free instructions.